If you’re looking for posts by Ben over at Hammerswing the next couple of days you might be disappointed. I’ve dragged him off to Missouri to meet the family and whatever misadventures that might entail.
Even though Ben and the Diva are a ways from getting married, there might be some back here in the hills that might want to do a trial-run on the custom of the “shivaree” while he’s in range. In some places, the shivaree consists merely of shooting off guns and fireworks near the couple on the wedding night. Perhaps another form could be the ritual of “decorating” the groom’s car. Around these parts the fellas have been known to be more creative. Like the time 25 years ago when a young groom was kidnapped from his bachelor party the night before the wedding and taken to the nearby town of Steelville, stripped to his jockeys and left to make his way home.
That was 25 years ago, though, and in that time certainly even our little town has come into modern, more enlightened times. Or, maybe they’ve just had more time to think of things to do. I don’t know because I don’t live around here anymore. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
All this talk of “shivaree” has left me cold. Or maybe it’s just being back in MN that done it.